5 Things You Didn't Know: Made McMahon A Badass

5 Reasons Ed McMahon Was A Badass

3- Ed McMahon was a marine fighter pilot

Trained as a combat pilot during World War II, McMahon spent most of the time in the United States as a flight instructor and test pilot for the United States Marine Corps. After the war, McMahon remained in the reserves until the Korean War. They called him back and he saw more action, earning six air medals. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1966 with the rank of Colonel and the California Air National Guard commissioned him as a Brigadier General. Later he even played a pilot in an episode of Baywatch.

4- Ed McMahon sold knives on Atlantic City’s boardwalk

By 18 years of age, Ed McMahon had already become a pitchman. He barked at tourists on the boardwalk selling them the Morris Metric Slicer. In his autobiography, he recounted his sales technique, telling people: “With the blade in the lower position, just look how thin you can slice a tomato. You could read a newspaper through that tomato slice. I know a lady in Bayonne, New Jersey, who had one tomato last her all summer long…” Selling anything on the street in Jersey takes serious balls.

5- "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a song about Ed McMahon

Entitled “Here's Johnny,” the track is set to '80s-tastic synthesizes and keyboards and recounts the awesomeness of Ed McMahon. His entire living is based on “selling beer and dog food,” introducing Johnny and laughing “in his special way.” The best lines call McMahon “A trooper to the end/A Clydesdale’s best friend.” How true, Weird Al, how true.